Calibre and Windows 10 Open with

[jackie_w]

@Windows gurus, Please can someone with a better in-depth knowledge of Win10 help?

If I right-click on a .txt file in Win10 and select 'Open with', I get a context menu containing 7 different Win 10 programs, including my default app, Notepad++.

However, if I right-click on a .epub, I get a context menu containing only 3 programs:

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Sigil Portable (PortableApps.com Launcher)
-----------------------
Search the Store
Choose another app

none of which is my default app for .epub, namely, 'The calibre e-book viewer'.

I can also choose 'The calibre e-book editor', but only via the long-winded 'Choose another app > more apps' route, every single time.

I would prefer to see both calibre's Editor and Viewer appear on the initial list, like Sigil Portable does.

Is this possible?

[BetterRed]

@jackie_w - works for me today on Windows 10 1803, viz:



If I select Choose another app I get



As you can see calbre's viewer is the default.

A couple of months ago I had some problems with Windows Open With on video files. There were some long threads at MS Support regarding it. It wasn't specifically video files, people had similar problems with images and other file types. IIRC there are some patches that explicitly addressed the issue. It got fixed with a subsequent update, seems to be OK now.

Make sure you have no outstanding Windows Updates, run a lightweight registry cleaner, and I have a vague memory of fixing an Open With problem with a System File Check in the long ago past.

For me Open With has been spasmodically problematic since it first appeared in Windows NT last century. I used to use Nirsoft's File Types Manager to overcome problems but I'm not sure it works these days.

BR

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Make sure you have no outstanding Windows Updates, run a lightweight registry cleaner, and I have a vague memory of fixing an Open With problem with a System File Check in the long ago past.

My Windows version is 1803 (OS build 17134.472).
I don't believe I have any outstanding updates (except for an Office XP Service Pack 3 which fails to install).

Do you have a suggestion for a lightweight registry cleaner? I ran CCleaner (portable) earlier today. The only registry errors still showing are 'Missing MUI Reference' for a bunch of my .bat files in my SendTo directory.

I'm not sure whether I'm looking at the correct part of the registry but this is an export of something that looks relevant:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub\OpenWithList]
"a"="balabolka.exe"
"b"="ebook-viewer.exe"
"c"="Sigil.exe"
"d"="xplorer2_64.exe"
"e"="chrome.exe"
"f"="DigitalEditions.exe"
"g"="Kobo.exe"
"h"="ebook-edit.exe"
"i"="SigilPortable.exe"
"j"="dijabcefg"
"k"="egdacfb"
"MRUList"="ihbecgfda"
"l"="Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub\UserChoice]
"Hash"="RXZARJEkqbA="
"ProgId"="calibreViewer64bit.AssocFile.EPUB"

Would you mind comparing it with your equivalent to see if anything stands out.

One thing I do see is that entries still exist for ADE and Sigil (non-portable) which are no longer installed. So CCleaner didn't remove those. I'm a bit nervous about manual edits using regedit.

[PeterT]

I seem to recall there being issues with Windows associations when 32 bit apps were replaced by 64 bit versions; something to do with the 32 bit association not being removed when the 64 bit version was installed.

There are tools out there one can use to manage associations/ open with operations.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by PeterT

There are tools out there one can use to manage associations/ open with operations.

Any suggestions? I've googled quite a lot today and most hits are to do with setting the Default Apps. I'm not having trouble adding/changing Defaults, just getting the right-click context menu OpenWith list to display correctly.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

My Windows version is 1803 (OS build 17134.472).
I don't believe I have any outstanding updates (except for an Office XP Service Pack 3 which fails to install).

Do you have a suggestion for a lightweight registry cleaner? I ran CCleaner (portable) earlier today. The only registry errors still showing are 'Missing MUI Reference' for a bunch of my .bat files in my SendTo directory.

I'm not sure whether I'm looking at the correct part of the registry but this is an export of something that looks relevant:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub\OpenWithList]
"a"="balabolka.exe"
"b"="ebook-viewer.exe"
"c"="Sigil.exe"
"d"="xplorer2_64.exe"
"e"="chrome.exe"
"f"="DigitalEditions.exe"
"g"="Kobo.exe"
"h"="ebook-edit.exe"
"i"="SigilPortable.exe"
"j"="dijabcefg"
"k"="egdacfb"
"MRUList"="ihbecgfda"
"l"="Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub\UserChoice]
"Hash"="RXZARJEkqbA="
"ProgId"="calibreViewer64bit.AssocFile.EPUB"

Would you mind comparing it with your equivalent to see if anything stands out.

One thing I do see is that entries still exist for ADE and Sigil (non-portable) which are no longer installed. So CCleaner didn't remove those. I'm a bit nervous about manual edits using regedit.

Here's my registry settings - - I ran CC this morning, I tick all the boxes, run it, remove everything, repeat run/remove until it finds no more rubbish.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub\OpenWithList]
"a"="calibre-parallel.exe"
"b"="ebook-viewer.exe"
"c"="firefox.exe"
"d"="Sigil.exe"
"e"="ebook-edit.exe"
"f"="xplorer2_64.exe"
"g"="Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge"
"h"="acegjdhfi"
"i"="firefox.exe"
"j"="Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge"
"MRUList"="beafgdc"
"k"="calibre.exe"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub\OpenWithProgids]
"epub_auto_file"=hex(0):
"WinRAR"=hex(0):

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.epub\UserChoice]
"Hash"="Z2gExoSQneo="
"ProgId"="epub_auto_file"

I don't know why those calibre-parallel.exe and calibre.exe entries are there - they don't appear in the list

Like you I avoid editing the registry. But when I do, I backup registry and I take a system checkpoint first. See How to use System Restore on Windows 10. I think I've only needed to rollback once.

I don't think it will do any harm to remove those Sigil and ADE entries, or you could try nuking everything in the registry that refers to .epub and start over.

I'd be wary of Default Program and File Type Editors.

BR

[kovidgoyal]

you can get calibre to unregister and re-register itself with windows as being capable of handling its supported file type by running:

calibre-debug --default-programs=unregister
calibre-debug --default-programs=register

[stumped]

simple solution
in Open With...below the list of suggested apps there will be an option to browse your pc for an app. take that and navigate to Sigil - I have it workign finr in window 1803 and windows 1809 on separate PCs
it can probably also be done in settings: default apps using set by protocol or set by file type but the above is easier
there is no need for risky registry edits.

PS I have a feeling that when sigil installs, it presents an option to associate with epub. so removing then clean installing sigil is yet another method

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Any suggestions? I've googled quite a lot today and most hits are to do with setting the Default Apps. I'm not having trouble adding/changing Defaults, just getting the right-click context menu OpenWith list to display correctly.

See https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.c...a-default-apps

The tools from NirSoft are normally excellent options. See http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/file_types_manager.html

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[jackie_w]

@stumped,

I don't use Sigil very often so I replaced it with the non-installed SigilPortable. But as you can see in post #1 I didn't have any problem getting SigilPortable to appear on the right-click OpenWith list without any need to have to always access it via browse more apps. The problem I'm trying to solve is my inability to get calibre's viewer and editor to appear in that same right-click context menu list.

Originally Posted by PeterT

See https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.c...a-default-apps

The tools from NirSoft are normally excellent options. See http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/file_types_manager.html

Thanks, Peter. I do have the NirSoft FileTypesMan utility but, in post #2 BetterRed, says that it may not work anymore.

I'm even more nervous about making changes with potentially out-of-date software than I am of doing manual registry edits. At least I can un-pick things I've changed manually

Anyway, I think I may, finally, have found a promising google link. If it works out I'll post more later.

[BetterRed]

The issue I had with FileTypesMan revolved around its support for user maintenance of Verbs in the Explorer context menu - Print, Edit, Twist, Flip, whatever. I have a suspicion the API to add/remove Verbs to the Explorer context menu may have changed at some stage - Vista would be my guess. Providing you take a system checkpoint before using FileTypesMan, or anything like it, you should be able to restore should anything go awry.

Workaround - put shortcuts to the programs you want in your send to folder (Win+R shell:sendto), force them to the top of list by prefixing the shortcut names with a bang.

BR

[jackie_w]

First let me admit I don't really understand this stuff ... For anyone who's interested, this (I think) is a summary of my observations. You may prefer to jump to the TL;DNR

The non-appearance of one or more of the 3 calibre programs (Main, Editor, Viewer) in a Win10 Explorer right-click OpenWith sub-menu is something to do with the fact that calibre adds an item called AllowSilentDefaultTakeOver during the register process mentioned by Kovid in post #7. This is for all valid calibre filetypes.

If I manually edit the registry to remove the AllowSilentDefaultTakeOver item from either:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\calibre64bit.AssocFile.EPUB
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\calibreEditor64bit.AssocFile.EPUB
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\calibreViewer64bit.AssocFile.EPUB

or:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\calibre64bit.AssocFile.EPUB
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\calibreEditor64bit.AssocFile.EPUB
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\calibreViewer64bit.AssocFile.EPUB

then calibre Main, Editor or Viewer will be become permanently visible in the .epub right-click OpenWith sub-menu after its first selection from browse more apps. I'm not really sure about this but it's possible that if one of these is the Default App then it's automatically on the sub-menu.

Apps which are not calibre-related seem to automatically be visible in the OpenWith sub-menu for .epub after their first selection, e.g. MS Edge, SigilPortable (probably also fully-installed Sigil).

As far as I can tell the only appearance in my Win registry of AllowSilentDefaultTakeOver by anything other than calibre is by the old MS WordPad prog (where xxx is one of rtf, docx, odt) in:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xxxfile
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\xxxfile

My conclusions are corroborated by the following observations about calibre and .kepub files. I had no problems getting any/all of calibre Main, Viewer, Editor added to the .kepub right-click OpenWith sub-menu. I know kepub is not a valid format for the Editor, but Windows is happy to open the Editor and calibre will gracefully give an error message about the invalid file format.

Currently calibre does not add the following to the registry during the register process in post #7:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\calibre64bit.AssocFile.KEPUB
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\calibreEditor64bit.AssocFile.KEPUB
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\calibreViewer64bit.AssocFile.KEPUB

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\calibre64bit.AssocFile.KEPUB
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\calibreEditor64bit.AssocFile.KEPUB
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\calibreViewer64bit.AssocFile.KEPUB

hence no AllowSilentDefaultTakeOver registry additions related to .kepub.

I was able to revert any manual registry changes I made by running Kovid's suggestion in post #7.

TL;DNR ---------------------------------------------------------------
My problems getting calibre Editor and Viewer to appear on File Explorer's (and in my case, xPlorer2's) right-click OpenWith sub-menu for .epub files disappear if I manually remove AllowSilentDefaultTakeOver from calibre-created registry entries for .epub.

I'm not sure why BetterRed doesn't see the same problems I see, unless perhaps his copy of calibre is calibrePortable rather than a fully installed one???

I'm going to assume calibre does things the way it does for good reason, so I'll need to make a couple of minor manual registry edits. The only questions I have are whether they will survive the next upgrade for:
- calibre
- Windows
I'm guessing yes for Windows, but not too sure about calibre.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

I'm not sure why BetterRed doesn't see the same problems I see, unless perhaps his copy of calibre is calibrePortable rather than a fully installed one???

No, it is calibre 64bit installed in the default location, btw I also use xplorer2

I ran calibre-debug --default-programs=unregister on the day Kovid made it available. I also have the CALIBRE_NO_DEFAULT_PROGRAMS environment variable set.

Have a read of this thread Install/Uninstall Windows 10 calibre. I should have found it sooner

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

File associations on windows are an uholy mess. There are layers and layers of places in the registry where they can be setup.

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

File associations are definitely a complete nightmare on Linux as well -- I think I mentioned somewhere before that I wrote my own replacement for xdg-open to work around linux's crazy system.

BR

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

No, it is calibre 64bit installed in the default location, btw I also use xplorer2

I ran calibre-debug --default-programs=unregister on the day Kovid made it available. I also have the CALIBRE_NO_DEFAULT_PROGRAMS environment variable set.

Have a read of this thread Install/Uninstall Windows 10 calibre. I should have found it sooner

Thanks for the link. Now I'm confused. If I unregister everything and leave it that way, will I be better off or worse off? My original problem was not enough file associations showing in OpenWith, not too many.

And another question: I do have a couple of calibre env var set up, but not CALIBRE_NO_DEFAULT_PROGRAMS. For instance I have
CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR=D:\sysfiles\calibre\caltemp

If I need it am I supposed to set
CALIBRE_NO_DEFAULT_PROGRAMS=yes or true or something else?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Thanks for the link. Now I'm confused. If I unregister everything and leave it that way, will I be better off or worse off? My original problem was not enough file associations showing in OpenWith, not too many.

And another question: I do have a couple of calibre env var set up, but not CALIBRE_NO_DEFAULT_PROGRAMS. For instance I have
CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR=D:\sysfiles\calibre\caltemp

If I need it am I supposed to set
CALIBRE_NO_DEFAULT_PROGRAMS=yes or true or something else?

I was trying to answer the question - how come it works me and not for thee. I have CALIBRE_NO_DEFAULT_PROGRAMS set to 'true', I think it only has to be present to take effect - i.e. to not register calibre as being capable of 'handling' any file types.

I have a vague memory of uninstalling calibre, removing everything in the registry that referred to calibre, setting the environment variable, and installing a fresh copy of calibre and then running the 'unregister' just to make sure.

BR